Six Interruptions
by Brynna
Summary: At some point during their years together, each of the Cullen kids intrude upon one of Carlisle and Esme's intimate moments. This is a look at Carlisle and Esme's long relationship through the lens of those six interruptions.
1. Edward

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight universe.

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**1 - Edward**

Carlisle couldn't believe his luck.

His wife was...stunning. Her hair was fanned over her pillow in gentle waves. Her eyes were alight with pleasure as he trailed gentle fingers over her thigh. She looked up at him expectantly, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth.

He leaned over, his strong arms easily keeping his weight off of her. He touched his lips to hers and soothed the spot she had worried with her teeth.

She was smiling as he kissed her, as his tongue darted out to tease the seam of her lips. He delighted in her happiness. That she had found the joy in making love pleased him beyond anything he could ever imagine. That she trusted him enough to shake off her fear and apprehension humbled him beyond anything he could ever say.

She had been scared the first time. His Esme had trembled gently and apologized for it. "I know you won't hurt me," she had said, her voice shaking. "I know it."

He had kissed her then, had held her face in his hands and whispered against her lips, "I've waited centuries for you, darling. I'll wait as long as you need. This isn't an obligation."

Esme had shook her head, her eyes sad with the knowledge that she simply couldn't give him the perfect moment she believed he deserved. "I want a new memory." Then she had paused, her bottom lip trembling for a moment before she captured it with her teeth. "You'll – you'll tell me if I do something wrong?"

Bubbling laughter tangled with a sob in Carlisle's throat, each fighting for dominance as he worked to keep them off his lips. It was absurd to think that he would find displeasure in anything she did. The knowledge that she was so uncertain had caused a punch of sadness and anger to course through him. "I love you," he had sighed, "and there is no 'wrong' here, my Esme."

She found her courage after that and he gave her the new memory that she so desired.

In the months that followed, they were insatiable for each other. Edward was using any excuse to get away from their carnal thoughts and when he was in the house, he worked hard to tune them out. He was getting better at occupying his mind, at flipping off his mental powers by playing the piano or reading. Unless they directly thought his name, he was safe from their thoughts.

As if she was reading his mind, Esme whispered gently, "Is Edward in the house?"

Carlisle shook his head and lowered his lips to her tantalizing neck. "He's hunting."

Whatever tension was left in her body was released as she twined her fingers through his hair and hooked a leg over his hip.

He groaned quietly at the change in position and she grinned at her new-found power.

"I love you," she whispered as his lips trailed to her chest. He placed a long line of kisses along the pale skin just above the delicate lace of her chemise.

"I love you too," he said between kisses. He pulled at the thin straps and let them slide down her arms. He wanted to tear it but he knew it would displease her.

He pulled insistently at the flimsy garment exposing more of her intoxicating skin to his hungry gaze. He felt her fingers move to unbutton his shirt and could only groan at the gentle flutter of her touches. Each tiny, hesitant caress pleased him more than anything had in over two and a half centuries.

She tugged at his shirt and smoothed her hands over his chiseled chest. He sat up just enough to rid himself of the shirt and then lowered himself again over his wife's prone form.

He kissed her again, their lips crashing in what would be a bruising kiss if either of them could bruise. She held him tight, her fingers kneading the ropy muscles of his back.

Carlisle trailed his hand to the hem of her chemise and started to pull it up slowly. His hand caressed each inch of newly exposed skin.

Esme worked her hand between their bodies, her nimble fingers making quick work of the fastenings of his trousers.

He smiled against her lips, marvelling at how far she had come.

"My Esme..." he breathed.

She lifted her head and touched her lips to his in a whisper soft kiss. "Carlisle," she she said on a breathy little moan, "let's –"

Her words were cut off as the door was opened suddenly. "Carlisle I – " Edward groaned in annoyance at the sight before him and quickly shut the door. "If I'm going to block the two of you, you could at least lock the door."

Esme was tense beneath Carlisle, her eyes wide even as Carlisle laughed softly.

"Should we..." Her eyes tracked to the door, clearly torn between the boy she already thought of as her son and the man she loved desperately.

"No," Carlisle said, "absolutely not."

He let his lips trace a path down the column of her neck. His tongue found the sensitive spot below her ear and teased it lightly, knowing it was the quickest way to get her to forget about Edward.

It worked. Her eyes rolled back before falling shut completely.

Carlisle lowered himself to press against her fully, his arms encircling her form to shift her pliant body. He could hear the piano downstairs, playing a new tune that had Esme smiling beneath him.

"Do you think we've traumatized him?" She whispered, her tone gently teasing.

Carlisle laughed and buried his face in her neck. His hands again working at the hem of her chemise. "I think I don't care." He moaned indiscreetly as he felt Esme's small hands journey past the waistband of his open trousers. "I think he'll get over it."

* * *

Edward's hands flew over the keys of the piano. Since Esme and Carlisle had fallen in love, Edward's musical talents had progressed exponentially. He picked out a tune that made him think of Esme. It was sweet and beautifully haunting.

He had enjoyed his life alone with Carlisle but he couldn't deny the fact that Esme had only made it better. Carlisle was happier. Any torment that had still been haunting him seemed to melt away when Esme came into their lives.

Edward took to her immediately. Even during the wildest days of her uncontrolled newborn months, he had found solace in her warmth. She was always comforting, with hugs and gentle touches to spare. He never knew he needed a mother until she came along.

Edward found satisfaction in Carlisle and Esme's love for each other. Witnessing their love story had been fascinating and heartbreaking and achingly lovely. It was a lesson to watch a man like Carlisle struggle to be _more_. To watch such a good man strive to better himself further so that he might be worthy of her love was something that Edward knew he would carry with him forever.

Watching Esme fight to shed her demons was alternately difficult and triumphant. Her self-consciousness and fear had felt to her like an albatross, something that someone like Carlisle should never have to deal with. She had written herself off as tainted goods, prepared to be the eternal mother, the good friend, and the quietly, painfully in love.

Her thoughts were filled with disbelief when Carlisle slowly started to help her to strip away those burdens. He was patient and their progress was agonizingly slow at times. Edward enjoyed watching the quiet dance. The sweet burn between them eventually grew into a white hot flame and things got a little less comfortable for Edward.

He was thrilled, of course. She had come so amazingly far and Carlisle 's thoughts were the happiest they had ever been.

Edward began to block them more and more, their thoughts too personal for him to endure. He didn't want to intrude any more than he already had and so he tried to give them their privacy.

Laughter from upstairs pulled Edward from his thoughts and he grinned at his piano. Their happiness was infectious, even though he knew that the sight of their bodies intertwined would be one that caused him torment for sometime.

He would be more careful, he promised himself. He would knock on doors that had always been open to him and listen more carefully to the goings on in the house. Their love story was worth the inconveniences and he hoped, with a fervor that he didn't fully understand, that someday, he would find his match.

In the year after Carlisle changed him, Edward decided, firmly, that his kind had no souls. They were the eternal damned, doomed to live a half life, killers by nature, isolated out of necessity.

As he thought of Esme and Carlisle, locked in their embrace as he barged in, as he imagined them, heady and laughing in the throes of new love, for the first time, he felt the seeds of doubt. He saw the logical error in his theory.

For if they had no souls, how had Carlisle's found it's perfect mate?

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Note: Thanks to Katako-Chan who gave me this idea in the reviews of Reading Between the lines. I know that you just asked for a Bella walks in on Esme and Carlisle fic but...you have to wait until chapter 6. :P

Rosalie's story coming next week.

Review! - Brynna


	2. Rosalie

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight universe.

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**2 - Rosalie**

Esme sighed, all of the tension melting from her body as she sank into the hot bath. The air crackled and hissed as her icy body touched the scalding water. Steam curled through the air in wispy little tendrils, curling the locks of hair falling from her loose bun.

She rested her head on the rounded edge of the clawfoot bathtub and let her eyes close with a whimper of pure pleasure.

She was determined to enjoy her rare moment of quiet, determined to spend a bit of time not working on the house or breaking up fights between the kids.

Esme shook her head. The children were...a challenge.

Her heart had broken when Edward decided to live on his own. She had tried to stay cheerful during those years, but her son was never far from her mind. Every time a car turned into the drive, her still heart would lurch and her eyes would dart to the window. Carlisle had assured her that he would be back, that Edward wouldn't adapt to the lifestyle of a nomad.

He was right.

One day, he simply came back, walking right into Esme's open arms, his face buried in her shoulder. "Sorry, mom," he had whispered. And with that hug and those words, her heart was mended. It was the first time anyone had ever called her 'mom' and her elation was written clearly across her face.

Rosalie brought new challenges. Esme saw the broken child there, the girl forever trapped in her worst moment, eternally punished for her beauty. She found an easy kinship with Rose, the similarity of their pasts enough to bind them even when she was so intent on shoving everyone away.

Esme worked on her slowly, peeling away the hardened layers as Carlisle once had with Esme's insecurities. Esme loved her instantly, her finely honed motherly instincts taking over when she naturally would have retreated from the lashing out and bouts of bad attitude.

Carlisle's guilt was consuming him. He ached to see Rosalie happy and it pained him to see her so unable to find joy in her new life. She resented him for changing her and she went out of her way to avoid him entirely. He threw himself into work, often finding the hospital a much more inviting place than his own home.

Esme sighed and shifted in the tub, her eyes popping open when a familiar scent wafted through the thick steam.

"Why the sad sigh?" His voice was velvety smooth and her lips curled into an easy smile.

"I thought you had to work late."

Carlisle shrugged and moved to her, tugging his suspenders down as he walked and letting them dangle at his waist. "I just explained to them that I have a gorgeous wife waiting for me at home."

"And that was enough?"

He knelt behind her, one hand skimming the chilled water and the other moving aside the hair escaping her bun. He pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck. "Mmm," he murmured. "Well, that and a new doctor started today."

She laughed lightly and twisted to meet his eyes. "Less time at work?"

He smiled and touched her cheek with an amazed sort of reverence that never failed to take her breath away. "I will try."

Esme leaned forward, her lips still curved as he met her halfway. She lost herself in the kiss, twisting further to wrap an arm around him.

"Where are the kids?" he whispered against her lips.

"They were arguing." She brushed his hair behind his ear with sure fingers. "I sent them to hunt in different directions."

He laughed and stood, tugging his clothes off impatiently, their gazes locked and smiles still wide. Carlisle eased into the tub and Esme barely noticed the water sluicing over the edge. He raised an eyebrow at her as he got settled and she shifted to his side, fitting her body neatly between his legs, her smooth back pressed against his chest, her hand resting lightly on his raised knee.

Carlisle wrapped an arm around her waist and buried his face in her neck. "How long has it been since we've done this?"

Esme's brow furrowed, searching her memories for the last time they shared a bath. "When Edward was gone." She grimaced at the thought and Carlisle chuckled.

"So much awful alone time."

"You missed him too," she protested, turning her head to see his face, her eyes narrowing at his teasing grin.

"I did. Every day. But I knew he would come back." He nipped at her shoulder. "And I had you all to myself."

She smiled and reached up to play with his hair, her fingers threading through the locks as her eyes searched his face. "I love you," she whispered, still a little dazed even after a decade and a half together.

His teasing grin melted into a gentle one. "I love you too."

He captured her lips again, his hands roaming freely under the water. He swallowed her moans and offered up his own. She turned fully and he slid further into the bath to cradle her easily against his body.

She smelled it strongly then and froze against him. Venom pooled in her mouth as the strong scent of human blood invaded her senses.

"What – " Carlisle started just as the door flew open.

Rosalie stood there, her golden eyes crazed, a smile stretched across her face. Her clothes were covered in blood and Carlisle held Esme tighter as he felt her tense.

"I've found someone," Rosalie said in an excited burst. "I need your help, Carlisle. I – " She turned to leave, confident that they would follow. "I brought him here. He's hurt. I need your help."

Her voice trailed off as she left the room. Esme glanced at Carlisle and stood fluidly. His face was serious, all business now, as he stood to gather his clothes. Esme dried off and slipped on a dress, following Carlisle down the stairs.

Rosalie was bent over the man, her eyes dancing with a happiness beyond anything Esme had ever seen from her. "I stopped the bear. Will you change him, Carlisle? I would have done it myself." She spoke quickly, as if she needed to get it all out before he said 'no.'

The man was a lovely human. Dark curls framed his face. Deep dimples were etched into his tan cheeks, even at rest. His muscles were huge and ropy, clearly the product of a lifetime of manual labor. Carlisle moved to him, easily ignoring the scent of his blood as he checked his vitals.

Carlisle looked back at Esme. She was holding her breath and inching toward the door. "I'll do it," he said, shoving a hand through his damp hair. "Go change, Rose." He raised his hand as she started to protest. "He'll be fine for awhile longer. Let me talk to Esme and prepare."

Rosalie's eyes darted to Esme and she flew up the stairs.

Carlisle turned to face his wife. "You should wait outside."

She shook her head, her darkened eyes still locked on the blood-soaked boy, "I'll stay while I can."

He grasped her chin and turned her head to meet his gaze. "Another son?" His question was simple and accompanied by a little smile.

Esme looked into his eyes and offered a tiny nod, her eyes darting back to the boy. She forced a smile through the all-encompassing thirst. "Yes." She met her husband's eyes again. "Yes, another son and perhaps a happier daughter."

* * *

Rosalie burst into her room, tearing off her clothes and shrugging into new ones, not even paying attention to what she was doing.

She thought of the man laying downstairs and she paused, clutching her ruined clothes to her chest as she sank to her bed. Something drew her to him. Something allowed her to ignore her thirst and carry him for a hundred miles. Something about him made her happy and hopeful.

Part of her brain was screaming at her. It was telling her that she hated her life and she shouldn't make the choice for him. It was telling her that she was being selfish.

She stood from the bed and walked down the stairs slowly, her clothes still clutched to her chest. Rosalie stopped on the third step, her eyes trailing from the man to her family.

Carlisle was close to Esme, gentle fingers trailing along her jaw as he spoke to her softly. Her hands were sure and steady at his waist, ignoring her bloodlust in favor of speaking to the man she loved. The memory of them naked and embracing in the bath flitted through her mind. They had such incredible, tangible love for one another, so much easy trust and endless patience.

_God,_ she wanted that.

She wanted someone who would love her unconditionally and who would never hurt her. She wanted someone who could counter her sour moods and keep her on her toes. She wanted someone who would make her forget that she was a murderer and who would be the happy twist to her dark story.

Rosalie looked again at the man with the curling hair, so like the tiny boy she had once longed for. She moved to him and ran shaking fingers over his cheek.

Her brain was still screaming at her to stop being selfish but she raised her eyes, catching Carlisle's gentle kiss to Esme's forehead. He pushed her toward the door, his gaze lingering as she retreated from the overpowering smell.

Rosalie's heart ached with all her wants and she ignored her brain, standing to meet Carlisle's questioning gaze. "Ready?" she asked simply, entirely resolved now to allow herself this one ally, this one possible love.

Carlisle moved close, rolling up his sleeves and kneeling over the man. He grimaced once and met her eyes again. For the first time, she saw him in a new light. No longer was he the man who had delivered her into this half life. Suddenly, he was her mentor, her example. He was a man who had made a difficult choice three times over. He had made the selfish choice for himself once and the selfless choice two other times. It humbled her that he was willing to do the dirty work to fulfill her wishes, that he was trusting _her_ choice.

"Carlisle," she whispered, stopping him as he descended toward the man she already thought of as hers. Carlisle looked up at her, his eyes questioning. She spread her hands, wishing she had more to offer than her words. "I know this isn't easy for you. Thank you."

She knew, from that moment that no matter the horror of the next few minutes or the challenges of the days and months ahead, that she would forever be grateful to Carlisle.

He bent again to his grim task and she smiled, watching the sharp teeth spill fresh blood. With a foresight that usually eluded her, she knew, that no matter how strange and gruesome the delivery method, her happy twist had arrived. Her dark story was coming to a close.

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Note: I know this one had a little less Esme/Carlisle but that's the nature of Rosalie. Plus, she interrupted them really early :) Emmett's story coming this weekend, I think. I don't have his done yet but I do have Alice's written and I am anxious to get there.

I forgot to mention this in the last chapter but, this story would be much more difficult to write without Twilight Lexicon's timeline. So thanks to them for helping me keep my dates straight.

Thanks to everyone that reviewed. I appreciate it so much.

Now, review! - Brynna


	3. Emmett

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight universe.

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**3 - Emmett**

"So, where should we go tonight?"

Esme smiled guiltily at Carlisle and offered a gentle shrug. "I wish we could stay in."

"Darling, date night is a necessity and you already look so lovely." His smile was genuine as he raked his gaze over her body appreciatively.

Esme smoothed the fabric of her dress. "I dressed up for you. It doesn't matter if we go out."

He could feel his face melting into one of the expressions that he reserved just for her. "The children are home. That's why we need the date night. We're outnumbered." _Blissfully outnumbered_, he thought, _wonderfully outnumbered._ Emmett had made such a difference in their lives. If the years after Rosalie had joined them were the most tumultuous in their family's history, then the ones after Emmett were the happiest.

Emmett had brought joy into Rosalie's life. He had done nothing but use his own nature to exorcise her demons. She was still caustic at times, still difficult when she wanted to be, but everything was so much easier.

Esme sighed and stood, drawing him out of his thoughts as her hands fluttered to the pins in her hair. "Perhaps we could go dancing?"

Carlisle tilted his head, considering her as she secured her curls. "What if we stayed in?"

She smiled magnificently, her dimples deepening with her excitement. "I thought date night was a necessity."

He reached out for her hand and tugged her close. "Alone time is. We'll send the children off to hunt or something."

"That has never kept them away."

His fingers were gentle as they found her soft cheek. "We'll let them stay and be really quiet."

She laughed. "That's never worked either."

"Too late." Carlisle turned his ear up as if that would actually help him hear better. "Edward's herding them out the door."

She sighed again, this time a happy sigh. "I'll have to thank him."

Carlisle held a hand out again to his wife, his smile widening to match hers. "Shall we?"

Esme gave him a confused glance and took his hand. "Where are we going?"

He tucked her arm through his and escorted her toward his study. "You wanted to dance."

Carlisle let her go and moved to twist the knob of the radio in the corner. The sounds of Frank Sinatra filled the room. He smiled at the melodic crooning and turned.

He allowed himself a moment to take her in. She was beautiful in blue chiffon. Her dress was new, something she bought on one of her shopping excursions with Rosalie, no doubt. It was a little more daring than her usual attire but it suited her, the rich color a stunning contrast to her cascade of caramel curls. Her arms were bare, the delicate chiffon gathered at her shoulders with little silver clasps. The neckline was plunging toward her thin waist and beautifully draped skirt.

He let his gaze roam back up her body, smiling when he saw her biting her lip. "You are so beautiful," he murmured.

"Thank you." She smoothed her hands over the skirt again. "Rose picked it out."

"I'll have to thank her."

He reached out and pulled her against his body. She settled her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. They shuffled to the music, forsaking grace for the chance to hold each other close. "Isn't this better than going out?" she asked on a sigh.

"Yes." He kissed the top of her head. "You were right."

He felt her hands dance across his sides to settle at his back, under his dinner jacket. She tilted her head up and he leaned down to kiss her, revelling in the familiarity of her soft lips and sweet taste. "Mrs. Cullen," he whispered against her lips, "I do believe you have ulterior motives for staying in."

"We have three beautiful, happy children who are all out." She had a mischievous twinkle in her eye that had him smiling. "I'm going to take advantage."

"Do I get a say in this plan?"

"Since I know you won't argue with me, I'm going to say 'yes.'"

He laughed. Esme had become so sweetly self-assured, so beautifully confident. He trailed a hand over the smooth skin of her exposed back, letting it settle at the edge of the flimsy chiffon. "Was the dress part of the plan?"

She grinned again. "Yes."

Carlisle nodded, kissing her softly. "I've always said you were an excellent planner."

Esme laughed and stood on her toes to kiss him more fully. He obliged her, leaning down to even their heights. "So what do you wear under a dress like this?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You want to see?"

He tugged the zipper down in response, his mouth finding hers again for a deep kiss. He pulled the dress off her shoulders and let it pool at her feet. As soon as her arms were free, she wrapped them around him. He groaned and pulled her to him, stepping back to lean against his desk.

Her satin slip was cool beneath his hands. He pushed her away, just enough to slip out of his jacket and unbutton his shirt. She used the moment to shimmy out of her slip and unhook her garters.

Carlisle felt the venom pool in his mouth as she rolled down her stockings. He yanked off his undershirt and growled when he saw her standing there in her undergarments, the scraps of lace barely covering her. She caught her lip between her teeth again as he let his eyes roam.

"I never get tired of this," he breathed.

She laughed lightly. "I should hope not."

He grinned and pulled her close again, turning suddenly to press her to the desk.

Esme leaned forward to kiss him, their lips crashing together as their passion flared. Frenzied hands tugged at clothes as they fought to rid themselves of the barriers still separating them. They came together easily, familiarly falling into a different kind of dance. They moved together with the comfort of old lovers and the passion of new ones.

After, when they were both sated, Esme tossed him his pants and slid into her slip, complaining that it felt strange suddenly to be naked in his study. She curled into his lap as they settled into his desk chair. He rained kisses across her forehead and sighed appreciatively.

She melted into him, her eyes closing, but she jerked away as they heard the front door open. Enthusiastic strides echoed throughout the house. "Emmett," she whispered.

He nodded and kissed her again. "He probably forgot something."

They listened to him run up the stairs and into his room. He stopped in the hall and Esme's brow furrowed as they heard Emmett approach the study with slow, cautious steps. Esme groaned and Carlisle held her tight. "Is this a rite of passage for them or something?" Her voice was low and fast.

Carlisle laughed lightly as Emmett opened the door. Emmett simply stared for a moment and then raised his eyebrows and grimaced. "This is weird."

"Aren't you supposed to be hunting?" Carlisle asked fighting down another burst of laughter.

He held up a football. "We were going to play."

They stared at each other for a moment, Emmett seeming to be alternately fascinated and disgusted. "Did you need something from the study?" Esme asked.

Emmett's grimace deepened as he met her eyes. "Uh, no. I heard the radio and...I thought you were in your room and the radio was left on..." His grimace melted into a grin, his normal good humor shining through. "This is weird," he said again. His eyes shifted around the room to the discarded clothes and lacy underwear. "Looks like it would have been weirder a few minutes ago."

Carlisle let his held laughter bubble to the surface. "Goodbye Emmett."

"Bye." He gave them one last grin and shut the door behind him.

They heard his chuckling as he strolled down the stairs and out the door. Esme groaned and buried her head in Carlisle's chest. "He's going to tease us."

He laughed again, running a hand over her arm. "We're married. This is what married people do. Besides, he and Rose are entirely indiscreet."

"True."

"It's only fair. Plus, we're the only ones that matter tonight. It's date night."

She shook her head at his shaky logic, a skeptical look on her face. "A necessity?"

"I'd say." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "But next date night, I'm renting a hotel room."

* * *

Emmett was still laughing as he stepped onto the porch. He tossed the football from hand to hand as he walked at a human pace. He shook his head and let his laughter fade into an easy smile.

He liked when things were good. He liked the people around him to be happy. The thought of Esme and Carlisle making love wasn't really so weird but _seeing_ the aftermath with his own eyes well...that was weird.

But he loved that they were happy.

Emmett was a man who took pleasure in the simplest of things. He loved his wife. He loved his family. He loved sports. He loved to laugh and to make others laugh. And he _loved_ his life.

He took to it like a fish to water, delighting in every new revelation of his new state. He never had trouble seeing Esme and Carlisle as parental figures or Edward as a brother. He didn't have trouble with immortality or no sleep. He liked the heightened senses and the super strength and speed. He liked being unique and being Rose's man.

She needed him. She wouldn't say it to him, but he knew it was true. The demons of her past had overwhelmed her more than once and she looked to him for comfort. She wanted him to bring laughter to the places where none had ever been able to exist. He gave her new memories to try to make the bad ones dim.

Carlisle had clearly done the same for Esme. Emmett's fingers tensed on the football as he thought of the man that had hurt her. He didn't like to think about Esme's past much. Every cell in his body cried out when he did, angry at the man who had hurt the unbelievably sweet woman he thought of as his mother.

Emmett weaved through the trees, still walking at a relatively slow pace. A part of him wished that Esme had taken her revenge the way Rosalie had. Instead, Charles was allowed to live out his life, not caring a whit about the woman he drove off a cliff.

He knew, without a doubt, what his role was in the family. He was more than the funny one, more than the easygoing one. He was the enforcer, his unbelievable strength enough to make sure that no one ever, _ever_ touched his wife or mother again.

As long as he lived, he would take his role seriously. He would live and laugh and love and _defend_ with equal ferocity. His family would have more nights like this one. He and his wife and brother would find time to be carefree. His mother and father would find time to be alone and they would all have more funny, _weird_ moments.

He chuckled again, shaking off the serious thoughts as his wife came into view. "What's so funny?" Rosalie asked as he moved closer.

Emmett laughed fully, delighting in the curl of her lips as she absorbed his good mood. "You will never believe what happened..."

* * *

Note: I enjoyed writing this chapter. It flowed much easier than I thought it was going to.

Thanks once more for all the reviews and favorites and alerts.

The Alice chapter will be coming by mid-week.

Now, review! - Brynna


	4. Alice

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight universe.

* * *

**4 - Alice**

His hands were a little firmer than usual, his lips a little more insistent. "Carlisle?" Esme said tentatively as his lips burned a trail down her neck. She moaned as his teeth grazed just below her ear. He raised his head to kiss her fully, ignoring her question and choosing instead to focus on the moan.

She saw his eyes as his lips descended and her brow furrowed at the strange flash of anger she saw there. "What's happened?" she whispered against his lips. She gripped his collar and pulled away. "Tell me what's wrong, darling."

He only growled in response, his fingers caressing the flesh of her hips before jerking her up against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist automatically, her body reacting to his ministrations, even as her mind urged her to get him talking.

"I need you, Esme," he ground out, "I just...I..." His words were rough but as he lifted his gaze to meet hers, she saw the familiar desire there mixing with the sudden extreme vulnerability.

"I'm here." She was annoyed at the shakiness of her voice. Nothing about Carlisle frightened her. Even when he had loosened the reins of his control, even when he didn't take the time to gentle his actions, even when the passion overwhelmed the both of them, she always trusted him.

It wasn't Carlisle that frightened her, it was the unfamiliar look in his eyes, his unwillingness to tell her what was wrong.

She pushed it all down and threaded unsteady fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes and lowered his lips to her jaw insistently. His hands were kneading the flesh of her thighs where he supported her weight.

Every movement had an edge she wasn't used to. She tried to direct his lips back up to meet hers, intent upon offering him whatever comfort he needed at her own pace.

He growled and ignored her guiding hands, choosing instead to nip at the skin of her shoulder, his sharp teeth stinging as they nicked her skin. He jerked his head up and again met her questioning gaze. Another growl escaped his lips and he moved quickly to slam her against the wall. It didn't hurt, of course, but her mouth fell open in surprise.

They had made love against walls before but they weren't Emmett and Rosalie. They didn't toss each other around and rattle windows. He raised his fingers to rip at her shirt, and she caught his hands in hers before they could do the same to her slacks. "Carlisle, slow down." Her voice was insistent now and she felt his fingers relax in her hands before he pulled them free and tugged at the zipper.

His fingers stilled as the door was flung open with force. Little Alice stood there, her eyes taking them in boldly. "Oh no," she said, unconvincingly. Her voice was deadpan as she made it obvious that she was interrupting them on purpose. "What a surprise."

Esme peeked around a tensed Carlisle, her eyebrows raised as Alice met her gaze. "I'll leave you two to _talk_."

Her emphasis on the last word didn't go unnoticed by either of them. Esme kept her gaze trained on the door as Alice retreated, easing the door closed behind her.

Carlisle was slumped against Esme now, one arm braced against the wall, the other holding her tightly. He had his eyes closed, his head bowed to rest against her shoulder.

"Carlisle?" Her voice was again tentative.

He let out a little laugh on a shuddering sigh. "Our Alice," he whispered.

Carlisle reached a hand back and tugged her legs free from his waist. He let her slide down his body to stand in front of him.

Esme watched in confusion as he opened his eyes and took a step away. He ran a hand through his hair and raised his hands simply. She tilted her head. Was it a gesture of surrender or was he trying to show her that he could keep his hands to himself? Was he trying to show her that she was safe?

Esme bit her lip and stepped forward but Carlisle jammed his hands in his pockets and retreated further away. "I'm sorry, Esme." He sounded broken as he settled onto their bed. He planted his elbows on his knees and thrust his fingers into his hair.

She watched him before sighing simply and crawling to sit on the bed behind him. "Talk to me." She pulled the blanket from the end of their bed and draped it around her shoulders.

The silence stretched between them. "Are you all right?" He turned slightly to glance at her and then bowed his head again.

She stared at his back, seeing now that he wasn't breathing. "I'm fine, Carlisle." A breath escaped him in an explosive little gasp. "I'm not fragile," she said

"I frightened you." The words were delivered on a pained moan.

Esme shook her head as if to disagree. "Only because you won't talk to me." She reached out a shaking hand and touched him lightly. "I wish you would talk to me."

"I had a terrible shift. I just – I saw you and you always brighten my day. Being with you always makes me so happy. I just - "

Esme crawled closer, her hands hovering over his shoulders for a moment before she wrapped her arms around him and melted into his back. "Talk to me. Tell me about it." She pressed a soft kiss to his neck and he turned to meet her gaze. She smiled sweetly, her heart breaking at the look on his face. "The children have school. Jasper is hunting. We have all afternoon for me to make you happy." She winked in a decidedly un-Esme way and Carlisle couldn't help the little burst of laughter.

He sobered quickly and leaned his head down to press a kiss to her arm. "You know I'd never hurt you."

"Of course I know that, darling. We've both been...less than gentle before."

"But not – " He sighed and turned, breaking her embrace to face her. "I'm supposed to have legendary control."

She smiled, sitting back again and crossing her legs. "And I'm supposed to be the one person you can allow to see you slip."

"You and Alice."

Her smile grew. "Alice gets to see everything."

Carlisle's eyes had gentled, the grief had fled and the anger had flared out. He was her husband again, strong and in control. He reached out a hand to touch her for the first time since he stepped away. He trailed steady fingers over her cheek, across her jaw. She caught his hand and held it between both of her own as he shifted to face her more fully. They sat with their legs crossed and knees touching on their sea of a bed. His shoulders slumped as he sighed and finally started to talk. "I had a really awful shift..."

* * *

Alice had never thought of her power as a responsibility or burden. She had never bothered to carefully consider her visions or agonize over the choices they presented.

She acted on instinct, letting her general kind nature and quick mind guide her. She saw it as a gift, a chance to live in a sure future and save others from moments of needless pain. For as long as she could remember, her power had brought her nothing but good. It guided her first to her soul mate and then to a loving family.

Esme and Carlisle were the steadying force in their lives. Esme had held her arms out in welcome, never less than elated to have two new children. Carlisle guided them with a sure hand, always the picture of perfect control, gently correcting their missteps.

Alice had seen visions of them for years before she found them. She had seen Esme and Carlisle in intimate moments, in tense moments, in happy moments, and in difficult moments. She knew that their connection was something special, that their love story was a guiding example.

She moved from the house slowly, her eyes focusing and unfocusing as she checked to make sure her interruption had worked.

They would have been all right, of course, had she not interrupted. Esme would have remembered, just for a fraction of a moment, rough hands from another life. Carlisle would have found none of the comfort he was so desperate for in their lovemaking. They would have beaten themselves up over their indiscretions. Esme, for making the unthinkable comparison, no matter how brief. Carlisle, for not treating her with the care he had always fought to give her.

The tension between them would have lasted one day, maybe two, but as far as Alice was concerned, that was two days too many.

Now, Carlisle would tell Esme about his terrible storm of a day. He would speak, finally, of the old man he couldn't save, of the abused woman with the tiny baby who was treated and released into the hands of her abuser, of the fragile child who probably wouldn't survive another day. He would speak of his frustration and fatigue, of his anger and sadness.

Alice smiled as she started to run toward her school. Carlisle would find his comfort in Esme's sympathetic ear and unwavering compassion, and after, they would make love sweetly, all of their barriers down and rough edges long forgotten.

She slowed as she drew closer to school, aware now that people might be able to see her. She darted across the playing fields and around the side of the brick building.

She skidded to a halt when she saw him. Jasper was leaning against the wall, thick hair falling in his eyes as he stared at the ground. It had been several years since that day in Philadelphia, since that day when she had held out her hand and offered them both a new life. It still gave her a rush to see him, those days of searching fruitlessly for him still so clear in her perfect memory.

Alice allowed herself a moment to look ahead. Carlisle and Esme were wrapped around each other, joking and laughing in the comfortable aftermath of their lovemaking. It gave her comfort to see them happy, to see them laughing and in love and screwing up and getting it right.

She looked at the man in the distance, blonde hair framing the face she so loved, scars branching across every exposed inch of skin, hands waiting to touch her, feet waiting to follow her. When the rush wore off and the heady feelings faded a bit, she knew they would have that. They would have the laughter and love and the screw ups and ultimately, they would get it right.

The wind shifted and carried her scent toward Jasper. His head jerked up with a smile. "Where were you?"

Alice met his smile with her own as she crossed to him. "Esme and Carlisle needed my help."

He sighed happily as he always did when she got close enough to blanket him in her emotions. He held his hand out to her and she danced over, joining their hands familiarly. "You want to ditch school for the rest of the day? I was hoping you would hunt with me."

She reached up with thin fingers and pushed his hair away from darkened eyes. Alice smiled as she looked ahead. They would find a family of deer and at the end of the day, his eyes would be golden and smiling, delighting in their time alone together.

Alice tugged on his hand, starting for the nearby woods. A vision hit her as they walked. Esme would start planning a vacation for Carlisle. She would pull him out of the frustration and fatigue. She would help to rejuvenate him, allowing him to shed his burdens and revel in their time together.

Jasper's hand tightened on Alice's. "Are Esme and Carlisle all right?"

She smiled up at him, completely confident in her answer. "They're going to be just fine."

* * *

Note: Man, this one was tough.

Thanks for all the reviews and faves and PMs and alerts. I appreciate all of it.

Jasper chapter will be up next week.

Please review!

- Brynna


	5. Jasper

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight universe.

* * *

**5 - Jasper**

The woods had grown since the last time they lived in Forks. The canopy was more dense, the trees inundated with green moss and twisting vines.

Carlisle let his fingers trail across the damp foliage as he picked a path through the undergrowth. Esme was a dozen steps away, her stride slow to match his meandering.

"It's different, isn't it?" she asked as she bent to finger gently reaching lilies.

"A bit. It's nice to be in a small town again."

She looked up from her flowers and offered him a sweet smile. "It is."

Carlisle braced his hand against a huge tree and glanced around. He neither particularly liked or disliked Forks. It served its purpose better than many places. The sheer number of overcast days made it an ideal place for the family to live. The proximity to the Quiluete reservation made it less than ideal.

Carlisle's eyes flitted from tree to tree as he looked for something familiar. "Do you think it's even still here?"

Esme shrugged as she scanned the trees, her hand automatically reaching up to tuck errant strands of hair back into her slipping clips. "We must be close. It feels like the right distance."

He pushed away from the tree and moved forward, his eyes still carefully searching. He heard Esme moving again too, her steps light and careful as she moved from tree to tree. "Found it!" she called.

Carlisle turned automatically, his grin growing as he moved in the direction from which her voice had called. She was leaning against a huge, moss-covered boulder, her smile pleased as she waited for him.

Their little alcove had changed, too. It had been their little secret retreat once, a tiny little nest that they had claimed as their own. The giant twisting tree roots were cradling the boulder, every inch of brown bark covered by the persistent moss. The tree was leaning under the strain of its own weight, held up only by the sturdy roots. Where it leaned, the roots had bowed up, making a tiny, living cave. The twisted roots jutted away from the little cave creating a hundred cradles and seats and benches.

He pushed aside low-hanging vines and examined the little arched grotto. Esme moved over the gnarled roots, easily finding a familiar spot to settle into. "Remember our last night here?"

Carlisle let the vines fall to cover the green hovel and turned to face her with a smile. "Of course."

"Feels like so long ago. It seems like we've always had Jasper and Alice."

He smiled and dropped among the roots, settling next to her and leaning back to breathe in the fresh air. "It does. This will be a good place for Jasper, I think. Easier than a big city."

"I hope." He could hear the concern in those two words. She so worried about their newest son, his constant torment nearly unbearable for her. "He is doing better, though."

Jasper and Alice had been an interesting and welcome addition to their family. They were so different from the other children. They came to them fully formed, their paths entirely independent from Carlisle.

As a couple, they were stunning to watch. They were completely in sync, easily communicating with looks and brief touches. Words were an unneeded and often unused little luxury. Their routine as a couple was set before they joined the family. Together, they created a little world that the rest of them couldn't quite touch. Where Rose and Emmett lived their love story right in the open for anyone to see, Jasper and Alice lived theirs in their own little cocoon, their backs to the world as they found comfort only in each other.

Alice slid neatly into the family. She was already strong and self-assured. Her extraordinary power and decades of abstaining from human blood making her an easy part of their group.

Jasper had a much harder time. He struggled with the diet and the family dynamics and sharing Alice. He had trouble settling into a more civilized environment and living in close proximity to humans.

But he _tried_. He wanted to do better and again and again, he picked himself up, much to Carlisle's admiration. In recent years, things seemed to be getting a bit easier. It had been a decade since he tasted human blood and though the burn of thirst was still strong, he still persisted, still trusted in better days on the horizon.

"His will is astounding. As long as he has Alice, I believe he will keep trying," Carlisle said to soothe Esme's worry.

She sighed happily and closed her eyes. Her eyelids were paper thin and pale as snow. He watched her as she lounged in the stillness. She seemed so at peace, her body stretched in a bed of soft fern, cradled by the ancient tree. Her face was heartbreaking in its beauty. Her mouth was gently curved in a tiny involuntary smile. Impossibly long eyelashes were inky against her pale skin. Silky hair was slipping again from inadequate clips.

Unable to resist, Carlisle reached out with deft fingers and secured the little clips. She opened her eyes to smile at him, her hand lifting to brush at his hair. Esme threaded her fingers through the thick locks, her hand settling at the back of his head. She tugged lightly and he complied, bowing down to kiss her gently.

Her smile grew as he shifted to hold her, his lips soft against hers, her hands sure at his waist and in his hair. "It's like we never left," Carlisle said softly.

She laughed. "That's what I was thinking."

He kissed her again, his hand creeping beneath her to splay across her back. "If I'm remembering correctly," he murmured, each word punctuated by feather-light kisses, "the last time we were here, Rosalie interrupted us."

"I'm pretty sure they do it on purpose."

Carlisle grinned. "Only Alice." He kissed her again, the hand on her back pressing tightly as he rolled over.

She smiled as she sat up, her hands braced on his chest, her denim-clad knees pillowed in the fern as she straddled him. "This does seem about right."

"Rose is in town with Alice."

She tilted her head. "Pretty good odds."

He laughed and pulled her down, one hand working its way under her shirt. He let his fingers trail across her smooth back. The other hand settled lightly on her thigh, his long fingers making tiny circles over the rough denim.

She worked her hands between them and slipped the buttons of his shirt free with nimble fingers. She sat up again and he followed her, shedding his shirt and tugging hers off before crashing together again, laughing as their teeth clacked together in their haste.

"Carlisle," a tentative voice called.

Esme froze, her eyes widening. "Jasper?"

"Yeah, sorry. Emmett said the hospital called about a car accident."

Carlisle's brow furrowed as he turned to look in the direction where the voice was coming from. "I'm not on call today."

There was a pause. "Emmett said – " He let out an irritated little groan. "Sorry."

They heard the trees rustle as he darted back toward the house. Esme's still-wide eyes were amused as they met Carlisle's. "I told you they do it on purpose."

He laughed with a shrug, his hand easily unclasping her bra as he moved to pick up where they left off. "At least that's all of them now."

* * *

Jasper was seething. And embarrassed. But mostly seething.

Emmett was in for it.

He ran through the woods at top speed, lunging as soon as he saw his laughing brother. Emmett kept laughing as they tumbled to the ground, as they rolled and wrestled. "Was Carlisle not on call?" He was breathless with his mirth "My mistake."

Edward laughed as he moved onto the porch. "Rosalie's not going to be happy."

Emmett pushed away from Jasper, leaping away as he lunged again. "I told her I'd win."

Jasper stopped, glaring at his brothers in annoyance. "You bet about _this_?"

Edward spread his hands, still laughing lightly. "Not me. I had nothing to do with it."

Jasper turned and slugged Emmett on the shoulder, stone colliding with stone in a huge, crashing boom. Emmett laughed again. "It was a good bet."

Jasper rolled his eyes, his fists still balled, his body ready to crouch and lunge at the slightest provocation. His brothers' amusement was rolling over him, changing his own mood and curling his lips as he found the humor in the situation.

"I'm going to get you back." Jasper jabbed a finger at Emmett. "Just wait."

Emmett laughed again, totally untroubled in the face of the threat. He jogged up onto the porch. "I'm going to change. Let's go hunt."

Edward looked down at his dress slacks. "I should change too." He turned to make sure Emmett was in the house. "Tell Rosalie he lied to get you to find them." His voice was low, barely more than a whisper. "When they bet, she said he couldn't interfere."

_Thanks, _Jasper thought.

Edward grinned and ran into the house. Jasper settled onto the porch steps, his smile still stretched across his face. His eyes rolled again as the amusement washed over him once more.

What would Maria think of him now? What would she make of this laughing man? What would she think of his power being used, not to sway battles, but to smooth over delicate family situations? What would she think of his overwhelming love for his wife, of his joy in his family? What would she think of his ongoing torture and tremendous progress?

Jasper's lips curved again as he imagined her reaction, her disappointment, maybe even her anger. It delighted him.

He had often thought about the differences between Maria and Carlisle. As the only two leaders he had known in this life, he found himself comparing them, mulling over their strengths and weaknesses in his analytical mind.

Aside from his amazing self-control and selfless nature, Carlisle, quite simply, had Esme. Maria never had someone like that, someone that would be on her side without question, without faltering. She lived for herself and Jasper could see now, with the clarity of distance, that it was her biggest weakness.

Jasper had stopped before he got close enough to catch more than a glimpse of Esme and Carlisle in the woods, but he could feel their emotions strongly. Love and lust were warring with utter devotion and tender care. Their emotions were totally intertwined, making it impossible to tell easily if there was one person generating them, or two.

As embarrassing as it was to have to interrupt them, Jasper found their emotions enlightening.

Maria would think of that kind of connection only as a weakness. Jasper knew better. Carlisle was a better leader than Maria and his connection with Esme, in every way possible, was an overwhelming strength.

In a battle, he knew that the tide could be turned by the extra need, the extra want that made one side fight just a little more fiercely, a little more desperately. He thought of Alice. He would fight for her a thousand times more fiercely than he would fight for himself. He would find reserves of strength and would never, ever stop. For that reason, Carlisle was a stronger leader. He had Esme just as Jasper had Alice.

And it wasn't just Esme. Carlisle had his beloved children and they all had each other. As annoyed with him as he might often be, Jasper would defend Emmett without question. He would stand with him as a brother and friend.

He blinked his golden eyes and squinted at the woods. Maria simply had everything wrong. In so many ways, the seven members of their little family were a better army than she could ever hope to create. Bonded through love and devotion, they were an unstoppable force.

Jasper was once proud to be called soldier. He had been proud to be called Major.

In ways that the soldier he had been could never imagine, he was much more proud of his new titles, titles that meant something on and off the field of battle, titles that made him stronger and happier.

He was proud to be called brother.

He was proud to be called husband.

And, perhaps most improbable to that soldier he'd been, he was proud to be called son.

* * *

Note: You know, I've written 23,000 words on Alice and Jasper in my other fic and yet their chapters for this story were the hardest for me to write. Weird.

Thanks for all the reviews and faves and PMs and alerts. Thanks also to whoever is reccing this. I can always tell when it has been linked. There will be no new alerts added for days and then twelve in an hour. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it.

To everyone who asked if I will do a Renesmee chapter: I can't. The fact is, she sees them only as her grandparents and I can't think of a way to write her interrupting them in a way that won't really creep me out. If I can ever think of one, I'll write it as a separate one-shot, but I wouldn't count on it.

The Bella chapter will be up next week.

Please review!

- Brynna


	6. Bella

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight universe.

* * *

**6 - Bella**

The kitchen was a mess. Blueprints were unfurled over the island. Swatch books and paint samples were stacked on the counters, some organization evident in the apparent chaos. The radio in the corner was playing some nondescript pop song. Esme's socked feet were tapping the tune as she hummed along. Snow was falling outside, the windows darkened by the thick downfall.

Carlisle was settled languidly in one of the hard kitchen chairs. His legs were stretched under the table and crossed at the ankle. Medical journals were spread before him and he read with a careful eye, his own foot rocking back and forth to her music.

It was one of those rare days when they could have been any other young couple. They weren't vampires or parents or grandparents or immortals. They were simply two people, enjoying a leisurely day, content to stay indoors as the snow blanketed the woods outside.

Esme tapped her pencil on her sketch pad as she eyed the plans for the new house. They'd bought the house and had it gutted a year ago. She'd overseen the restoration process, carefully preparing the old three-story house for their next move. It was larger than their house in Forks and had been a welcome challenge from the start.

Bella and Nessie were going to live in the house with the rest of the family for the first time. Esme was giving their rooms extra care, determined to perfect them as she had, long ago, with the others' rooms. They had also built a little place for Jacob and whoever would still be in his pack when they moved, but she was allowing someone else to decorate it, if only to minimize her scent in the space.

"Do you think Bella would like a little sitting area in their room?" She wanted things perfect for her newest daughter, for the brave girl that had given them an impossible grandbaby and had so lightened Edward's life.

Carlisle looked up from his medical journal, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Maybe. She'd like a place to read, I'm sure."

Esme bit her lip and again looked to the blueprints. "Maybe a nice window seat," she muttered.

"Bella's not fussy, darling. She'll like whatever you prepare for her."

"I just want to get it right." She swiped impatiently at hair that was falling into her eyes and he grinned at her, his own eyes alight with amusement. "What?"

He shook his head, his grin still in place. "I enjoy seeing you so in your element."

She smiled, her dimples winking as she leaned again over her sketchbook. "I love this part. It's like a puzzle."

"You're brilliant at it. Remember the house that Edward and I lived in?"

She laughed and sketched a wide picture window with a low bench beneath it, her hand moving over the paper with sure strokes. "You didn't even have curtains."

He smiled, flipping his journal over to mark the page. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes flitting to the steadily falling snow outside the bay window. "We badly needed you in our lives."

Esme grinned again, watching as he stared at the snow. She moved to stand behind him, her hand light on his shoulder. "It's really coming down."

He nodded and twisted to look at her. "The kids will probably plan some elaborate snow war for tonight."

"I love this weather," she muttered, bending down to lean against the back of his chair. Her arms moved to twine sinuously around his neck, her lips a breath away from his ear. "It feels like we're entirely isolated."

Carlisle reached a hand up to touch her cheek as she kissed his neck. "You're really tempting fate, darling. We're in the kitchen and the kids are around here somewhere."

She smiled against his smooth skin. "I'm allowed to kiss my husband."

He laughed. "That's true." He tugged her around, twisting to pull her into his lap. "Hey." His voice was low and breathy as their eyes met.

"Hey," she said in reply. Her smile spread slowly as she took in his beautiful face. His pale eyes were filled with gentle amusement, knowledge and trust and love evident in his gaze. She always felt a tiny flutter of breathless nerves when he turned that gaze on her, his eyes softening as he looked upon the person he loved more than anyone else. She lifted her hand and ran the pad of her thumb against his full bottom lip, laughing when he leaned forward and nipped at it gently with sharp teeth. His face changed, his smile painfully beautiful as he took pleasure in their playfulness.

He leaned forward, his lips moving almost lazily against hers in a slow, drugging kiss. She wrapped herself around him more completely, her fingers playing gently with his hair. She kept her eyes open, watching as his brow smoothed in simple pleasure. He sighed happily, pulling her closer, his lips firming a bit as he touched hers with the tip of his tongue.

Esme smiled. "Now who's tempting fate?" she whispered.

"I'm allowed to kiss my wife." He pulled away, his hand fluttering to her face to tuck silky strands of hair behind her ear. He leaned forward again to kiss her jaw. Her eyes closed at the familiar sensation. She sighed as his lips closed over the gentle curve of her earlobe, as he skirted her diamond stud and ran his tongue over the delicate shell of her ear.

"Not fair," she whispered.

She felt him smile again, his breath warm against her skin as he spoke. "I didn't say I minded tempting fate. Let them walk in."

His lips returned to their ministrations, teasing a familiar spot behind her ear. Her hands started moving of their own accord, one thrusting into his hair, weaving through the thick blonde locks, the other inching under his woollen sweater. Her fingers made idle paths on his chest and stomach, tracing the sinewy muscles.

A strangled little gasp from behind them had her jerking her head away, her fingers stilling on his skin. "Sorry!" Bella squeaked, her eyes wide as she turned and fled.

Esme eyed Carlisle, an eyebrow raised as he grinned sheepishly. "You _had_ to say 'Let them walk in,' didn't you?"

"Well, at least _that's_ all of them."

"That's what you said last time," Esme said, her fingers moving from his hair to trace lightly across his cheek.

"I'd rather have Bella in the family than have been right."

Esme squinted, laughing softly. "I think I'd rather have had both."

He laughed fully, his head tilting back slightly. "We have an anniversary soon. Maybe we should go someplace where no one could possibly walk in on us."

"I almost can't imagine that."

His grin gentled, his face softening as he searched hers. "The sacrifices are worth it, though?" He stated it as a fact, only the slightest upward inflection at the end to indicate that it was a question.

Esme shook her head in disbelief. She brought both of her hands to his face, cupping it lightly, her steady fingers making tingling paths across his skin. They were as light as a whisper, fluttering the smallest of distances from his pale face, only the roundest part of her fingertip making any contact at all. "There are no sacrifices in this life. I wouldn't change a thing."

He turned his face to kiss one of the teasing fingers. "Even the interruptions?"

She thought of each of her children, of the decades they'd all had together, of the embarrassing, funny, painful interruptions and the jokes that ensued. Esme tilted her head, remembering how Emmett had teased her gently and how Jasper had apologized. She remembered how Alice had never again spoken of why she interrupted and how Rosalie probably didn't even realize that she _had_ interrupted. She remembered Edward's care and fierce protection of their relationship. It all mattered. Every tiny little moment mattered in their lives together, in their unbreakable bonds and lovely familial relationships.

"Yes." She smiled slowly. "Even the interruptions."

* * *

Bella found her husband and siblings in the garage. Her brow was furrowed as she walked in slowly. She knew that if she could blush, her cheeks would be flaming red.

"I know that look," Emmett said from his place on the long counter. His arm was looped around Rosalie, her head resting on his shoulder as she smiled knowingly, "That's the look of 'I just walked in on Carlisle and Esme.'"

Bella's eyes narrowed as her gaze darted from face to face, lingering on Alice's amused grin. She was settled on the hood of her Porsche, her heels resting on the front bumper. Jasper was leaning next to her, his elbow planted behind her. "Don't look so alarmed, Bella," Alice said, her voice high with her mirth. Jasper's smile was slow to spread and Bella felt herself calm, her embarrassment melting away.

Bella shook her head. "You could have stopped me." She could hear the frustration in her own voice.

Edward looped his arm around her waist. "It's their really warped way of welcoming you to the family." His own amusement was written plainly across his face. It made her skin tingle with annoyance.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Stop making that face, Bella. They were just kissing. You weren't this appalled when you walked in on me and Jasper."

Emmett groaned and Jasper laughed lightly. "Bad bet," Jasper said. "_My_ wife sees the future."

Bella ignored them. "You're my friend, Alice. They're like parents to me," she held up a hand, her brow furrowing again, "and how was that a welcome?"

Edward shrugged. "It's kind of a tradition. I walked in on them in their room, right after they married. They uh – they weren't just kissing."

Rosalie lifted her head. "They were in the bath when I walked in."

"The study," Emmett said with a grin.

"Against a wall," Alice hugged her knees, smiling softly.

Jasper shot a glare at Emmett. "In the woods."

Emmett laughed at his brother, spreading his hands and shrugging before he turned again to Bella. "And now you can say, 'In the kitchen.'"

Bella shook her head again, a tiny smile forming as she saw that in their strange, too much time on their hands kind of way, they really were welcoming her into their little club. They were saying, '_now_ you are a Cullen.'

Emmett started the story of his first interruption and Bella let her mind drift. It was so easy to forget that Esme and Carlisle were physically in their twenties, that their bodies would still carry all the urges and drives that went along with being twenty-three and twenty-five.

She thought of the moment she had interrupted in the kitchen. She thought of how Esme had looked with her hair in a ponytail, a headband holding back the pieces that were too short to reach, simple diamond earrings flashing in the kitchen light, her face clean and fresh for their leisurely day. She thought of how Carlisle had looked with his dishevelled hair, his sweater thick and needlessly warm, his jeans fashionably distressed. They had looked like a young happy couple, far too young for the responsibility of grown children or a rapidly growing grandchild, far to young to carry the burden of guiding six vampires down a moral path.

It was in their intimacy that they rediscovered their youth, Bella realized. It was in those moments that they were able to forget how many years they had been on Earth. They were free to simply be Esme and Carlisle, eternally young, eternally in love, and eternally trusting in each other.

Bella sighed and burrowed closer to Edward. "There's something comforting about seeing them together" he said, as if he could read her thoughts, "isn't there?"

"You know," Rosalie spoke up as Emmett captured her hand, "their ninetieth anniversary is coming up."

"They're going to the island for their eighty-seventh," Alice said confidently.

Bella sighed again. "Ninety years," she breathed. The room fell silent as they contemplated their own relationships, of what it would mean when they got to ninety years.

Bella took great, overwhelming comfort in imagining that she and Edward could still be like Esme and Carlisle, nine decades into their everlasting life together. That Esme and Carlisle could still feel young and carefree and playful was a lovely thing to witness, a warm bit of assurance for someone still in the earliest part of immortality.

She looked at Alice and Jasper. They had recently celebrated sixty years together in their usual private, intimate way. She watched as Jasper grinned at Alice, his eyes searching her face. She watched as Alice met his gaze, her fingers pushing at his hair as she answered some silent question that only she could understand with a gentle smile and a tiny shake of her head.

She looked at Rosalie and Emmett with their seven and a half decades together. She watched as Emmett whispered in her ear. She watched as Rose laughed and burrowed closer, their fingers threaded together in a tight grip.

She thought again of Esme and Carlisle. Bella's parents would pass on eventually. Esme and Carlisle would provide whatever guidance she needed. They would keep her safe and listen to her troubles. They would pick her up if she fell and take joy in her steady times. They would wrap her in their love and warmth and provide the clearest of examples for her own relationship.

Edward squeezed her tightly again and she glanced up at him, her smile gentle as she met his questioning gaze. "Is it hard to imagine?" he asked.

"Ninety years?" She looked around the room at what sixty years looked like, at what seventy-five years looked like, and she remembered with a smile what ninety years looked like. "No," she said easily. "No, it's not hard to imagine at all."

* * *

Note: And that's six. Thanks so much for all of the reviews, the alerts, the favorites, the recommendations, and the PMs. A special thanks to those of you that took the time to review every chapter. I so appreciate and understand the time that it takes to do that. I, quite simply, never imagined that this little fic would take off like it did. I have enjoyed every second of playing in Esme and Carlisle's world and after a little break, I might return to it with a different story.

I forgot in most of the chapters, but I had to edit to add in a huge thanks to the folks at the Twilight Lexicon. No way would this story have been possible without their timeline.

Now, one last time, please review!

Thanks, Brynna


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